


My Despair Academy

by Chrysanthos



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-27 11:40:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16218281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chrysanthos/pseuds/Chrysanthos
Summary: Izuku Midoriya is elated. Ecstatic, even. He's entering Hope's Peak Academy, and he's going to become one of the school's legendary symbols of hope.Of course, once he steps over the threshold, he realizes that this school is anything but a school of hope...It's an academy of despair.(Or, Danganronpa with MHA characters.)





	1. Prologue: Welcome to Despair Academia! (Part 1)

Standing there, in the middle of the city, it's impossible not to see it. An enormous high school, so large that it towers over the other buildings. It's almost as if it's the center of the world.

It may as well be.

This is Hope's Peak Academy. It's an incredibly influential school devoted to the education of the world's most talented students. In fact, the very name "Hope's Peak" is so influential, that there's an entire saying about the school: "Once you graduate from there, you're set for life".

Hope's Peak itself is, while a lofty name, perfectly apt for the school itself. It prides itself as a training ground for the ultra-talented, helping them hone their skills until they're the very peak of their respective fields. In this way, they create the hope of the future.

It really makes me wonder what I'm doing here.

I'm Izuku Midoriya, and, well, standing here in front of the gates, I can't believe I made it into the school.

It's not like I did anything particularly, well, _special_ , but...

You see, it's like this. In order to actually get in to Hope's Peak, you must meet two criteria. They have nothing to do with entrance exams or anything like that. In fact, you just get a letter saying you've been scouted, and considering the school's clout, you'd be a fool not to accept.

Anyways, the criteria are as such:

_1) You have to be currently enrolled in a high school._

_2) You must be the absolute best in your field, no exceptions._

Since those that are chosen are the absolute best, they're bestowed the title of "Ultimate". It's really no exaggeration to say that the world is led by Ultimates, honestly.

And that's where I come in. See, I'm a bit of a fanatic - Hope's Peak is something of a special interest of mine, and I can pretty much rattle off any Ultimate student, past or present. This is especially easy because nowadays, there are messageboards exclusively about the incoming Ultimate students.

And, well, I'm just extremely proud to say that I'm one of them!

About those messageboards, I've definitely participated in discussions online. I didn't reveal what my Ultimate talent was online, though, because I didn't want to be inundated with messages - I can only do so much, really, and I get overwhelmed. However, I did manage to see who's coming in!

For example, there's the Ultimate Innovator, who's been said to have patented over 1,000 gadgets and invented three times that many! The Ultimate Animal Trainer is said to be on call for zoos and nature preserves around the world! Even the Ultimate Gardener is known for their incredible landscaping works, and is in high demand for estates across the country!

I'm actually pretty plain compared to them, honestly... But I've managed it! I'm at Hope's Peak Academy's gates!

Now then, time to take my first sttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttte p  
towards m my m y m y y k m my fuvtciokitrurefurufuture ddwh aijjjf u o

. . . i . . . s . . .e e.. . . .

 

* * *

 

When I woke up, it was in a classroom.

It's a darkly-lit classroom, with no natural light, but my eyes adjusted to it just fine. Groggily, I sat up. There's a line of drool on the desk - so I've probably been asleep for a while now. Thinking to it, I arrived at Hope's Peak at around seven-thirty, so...

 _But wait, when I arrived, my vision swam and I passed out._ So, who knows how long I've been knocked out.

Looking around, I immediately spotted a clock. The clock stated that the time is exactly seven-fifty-five. Of course, from the drool on the desk and the earlier nausea, I've probably been asleep for over twelve hours. _But that's a bit of a contradiction - why would I have slept for twelve hours? And in school no less?_

Still, there's an easy way to settle this. I turned to open up the blinds on the windows.

And I stopped entirely.

The reason the room doesn't seem to have any natural light isn't because of the fact that there are blinds on the windows - it's because the windows are covered in metal plates.

Cautiously, I walked over to the metal plates and knocked on them. There was an extremely dull thud, and it's covered in bolts, no less. It's probably made of extremely thick metal.

 _Who could have done this?_ I wonder. For now, I continued my investigation of the classroom, and my eyes immediately fell on the security camera in the corner of the room. Why is there a security camera this size here? If someone wanted to install security, they'd put in a much smaller camera - there's no practical need for a camera as big as a television station's.

Tearing my eyes away from the weird conundrum of the camera, I then saw, on the desk I was just sleeping on, a piece of paper. _How'd I miss that?_ I wondered as I walked over to pick it up.

 _It's very crudely drawn,_ was my first thought, _so much so that I can't figure out what's even on it._ My next thought is that the handwriting's terrible, too, but at least I can make out what it says.

 _"Hey there, slugabed! Make sure to make your way to the gymnasium for orientation! It begins at 8:00 sharp!"_ The note read. Immediately, my eyes darted to the clock - it's now 7:58.

"Shit!" I cried out, running to the door, "I'm gonna be late!" I threw open the door - luckily, it's not locked - and ran out into the hallway, immediately crashing into someone like I'm in some old manga.

"Oww..." She said. She's wearing a blue-black school uniform with light pink accents and a cream cardigan. She seems to be blushing, and her hair is brown and in a bob-style. She's also lying on the floor after my impact with her.

"Ah! S-Sorry!" I exclaimed. I helped her up - she's a few centimeters shorter than me, I guess. Her hands are also surprisingly smooth. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah... You just took me by surprise, that's all..." She said. After a moment, she said, "Hey... Are you heading to the gym?"

"Well... Yeah..." I replied, "But I'm not totally sure where it is, and I just woke up, so..."

"Huh?!" She seemed surprised again, "W-Woke up?! ...I see... Anyways, I was just looking for it, too. The way I just came from has what looks like the dorms, so I was thinking that the other way would have the gym..."

I nodded. That made sense. "So, uh, which way are you going? We're both going to be late, so, might as well show up there together." I offer.

The girl pointed to my right. "I was heading that way. Let's go, maybe we won't be too late."

With that, we lightly jogged down the hallway, past rooms marked "A/V", "Shop", "Main Hall", and a closed-off room marked "Nurse", before we reached a large set of double doors. I opened the door, and found myself in an antechamber filled with awards won by past Ultimates.

"Woah..." I gasped as I took in the shine of the awards. I shook my head - now isn't the time to obsess. There's another set of doors on the far side of the room - the girl was already there.

"Are you okay?" She asked, concern in her face.

"Y-Yeah, it's just..." I said, "I'm kind of a fanatic about Ultimates... And, well, this is Hope's Peak Academy, so, I'm a little starstruck..."

"Hehe, well, you didn't seem all that starstruck by me!" She said in a cheerfully teasing voice. "But, you know, I'll talk to you about that later. First, let's go in, and then we can introduce ourselves after the welcoming ceremony."

"Ah, of course." I said, confused. I actually didn't really recognize her. Of course, it's not as if those forums I was browsing last night had everyone's information. The total amount of people that I could find information on totaled about ten, so it's really no shock that I wouldn't know who she is based on her looks alone, much less the odds that she's one of the ones that weren't-

"Um, I hate to interrupt, but..." The girl said, looking somewhat unsure. "Do... Do you always mutter like this?"

"Eep!" I immediately clammed up.

"Don't worry, it just... Caught me by surprise, is all," The girl said, "To tell you the truth, when I'm nervous, sometimes I bite my fingers."

I blinked. "D-Don't you mean fingernails?"

"Nope!" The girl winked and walked through the doors. Staring at the space she just occupied, I shook my head and walked through them as well, this time without any of the wooziness from my entrance to the school.

I am immediately greeted by a huge group of people.

"Is... Is that it?"

"Are they the last two?"

"Well, counting them... It's sixteen, right? It's a good cutoff point, but you'd think the class sizes would be bigger..."

" _Excuse me!_ " A tall, stocky boy with black hair and glasses shouted, pointing at me and the girl. He's wearing a pure silver school uniform, and the accent of his jacket is navy blue. "You two are late by precisely twelve minutes! What do you have to say for yourselves?!"

"Man, shut the fuck _up_ , prep school..." Drawled a boy with ashy blond hair near the wall. His black and green school uniform is baggy, unkempt, and even seems to be singed near the edges. "Who fuckin' cares if they're late?"

"I care!" 'Prep School' immediately returned, "And surely, the school cares about having a full class! If they did not, they would have started the orientation already!"

"Hm... I do see the logic in that..." Said a girl with green hair. She's wearing a white button-up shirt, a long brown skirt, heavy boots, and a wooden cross. "Nonetheless, if that were the case, would the ceremony not have started already?"

"Ghrk!" It looks like the tall boy hadn't thought about that. Indeed, there was no one around who looked like any sort of faculty member.

Actually, thinking about it, there didn't seem to be ANYONE in the school building itself.

"Well, first things first..." A girl with her long black hair tied back in a ponytail said. Her school uniform has a cream skirt and a bright red cardigan. "Perhaps we can introduce ourselves? I am unsure how to speak to any of you... I simply cannot begin a conversation with " _Hey, you_ ". It's incredibly rude."

"That's a good point..." A girl with a vacant expression replied - or is her face just hard to read? Regardless, she's wearing what looks like a green wet suit underneath her otherwise-normal seifuku. "Very well. Let's go around and introduce ourselves."

"A splendid idea!" The first boy declared, standing straight up. "Fellow students! I am **Tenya Iida**! I hope we get along excellently, and that we all excel in this school life!" Tenya then bowed in a perfect ninety-degree angle.

"Tenya... Iida?!" I immediately blinked, mind rushing with everything I know about Tenya. "You mean... _That_ Tenya Iida?! The one who's set records in every track and field meet, no matter the event?!"

"Indeed, I suppose that _is_ my specialty!" Tenya declared. "I am the **Ultimate Track Star**! However, my true talent lies in academics - I much rather prefer letting my work and effort speak, rather than my achievements!"

"Heh, fuckin' nerd..." The blond boy scoffed. I'm put on edge by his tone, but I'm not sure why.

"It is splendid to meet you, Tenya," The black-haired girl smiled. "My name is **Momo Yaoyorozu**. It is a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope we get along."

I'm in shock. This one's a celebrity in her own right - the Yaoyorozu family is fabulously wealthy, and the very name conveys a sense of grandeur. It's said the family originated sometime in the Kamukura period, and Momo Yaoyorozu is someone who's special herself - she's the **Ultimate Craftswoman**. No matter what material she's given (wood, glass, fabrics, metal), she can make something out of it, guaranteed.

"Oh, a Yaoyorozu, _hm_?" A boy with bright blond hair, blue eyes, and a weirdly smug expression said. He's wearing what looks more like a business suit than a school uniform, and he's wearing an extremely expensive-looking watch as well. "Ufufufu... Perfect. Well, you may as well begin grovelling in thanks now!"

"Wh-What?" Momo immediately asked, incredibly confused.

"Oh? Don't recognize me? Oh, but of course you don't - only select members of the police are graced with the knowledge of my existence!" He ran a hand through his hair, as if to somehow make his already sketchy story even more grandiose. "I am none other than **Neito Monoma**! And my unparalleled skill in recreating absolutely anything, from recipes to crime scenes, has landed me the glorious title of **Ultimate Copycat**! Remember it well, peons!"

"Uh..." The girl I came in with looked extremely unsure. "But... Why would that make Momo praise you?"

"Simple!" Neito said, "Because it was _I_ who managed to figure out that the Phantom Thief Jester was going to target the Yaoyorozu Conglomerate's main building! Thanks to my _incredible_ ability, the police immediately honed in and captured the crook, and thus, saved the Yaoyorozu Conglomerate from financial ruin!" Neito gave an even smugger grin, if that's possible. "You're _welcome_."

"You're... Taking credit for something the police did." A boy with two-toned hair and heterochromia blinked. His hair is white on his right side, and red on the left, with a perfect split down the middle. Not only that, his right eye is brown, and his left is blue. His blue school uniform has a white tie, and attached to it is a bright red brooch.

"I can't decide on how lame that is, man..." A girl with tanned skin and unruly pink hair sighed. She's wearing a tan boy's school uniform with a magenta and blue giraffe-pattern shirt. Over all that is a white lab coat altered to have a fur trim.

"Whatever." A girl with red hair and violet tips shrugged. Her eyes are a bright white, but apparently she can see perfectly fine, if her glance at the pink-haired girl is any indication. She's wearing colorful street clothes; a graphic t-shirt, a skirt, a couple of belts, a hoodie, sneakers, gloves, the works. "Anyways, I'm **Toru Hagakure**. I'm the **Ultimate Prankster**. You may have seen my YouTube channel, but it's really no biggie if you haven't!" Toru gave a wide grin and held out a peace sign.

"Oh, what?! I'm such a huge fan of yours, Toru!" The pink-haired girl clasped Toru's hand. "I'm **Mina Ashido**! I'm here as the **Ultimate Chemist**! I really loved that one prank you did with the fake burns, it really looked like you actually gave yourself some serious acid wounds!"

"Ahaha, you remember that?" Toru looked sheepish as she rubbed her neck. "I try to study things like that in depth so that my pranks are believable! It's no fun if no one's tricked, you know?"

"Oh, totally!" Mina agreed.

"U-Um..." A boy with cream-colored cropped hair interrupted, almost unwillingly. He poked his hands together and seemed to shrink in on himself as we all gave him our attention. His uniform has a red shirt with a yellow blazer, and he's wearing a white tie. It's not exactly a flattering uniform, but on him, it seems to fit. He also has a weirdly intense-looking face, not befitting his apparently shy demeanor. In fact, as we all looked at him, he only seemed to grow more and more anxious, before he finally stuttered out, "K-K-K- **Koji Koda**. Uh, I-I, uh, U- **Ultimate Animal Train-ner**." He then fell silent.

I blinked. For a talent as impressive as animal training, I didn't expect the Ultimate Animal Trainer to be so... Subdued. Then again, the forums did say that the Ultimate Animal Trainer had a unique personality...

"Hey, Koji, you alright?" A boy with spiky, chocolate-brown hair asked. He has thick lips and is built impressively, and is wearing a white short-sleeved chef's coat with a yellow apron. He's also rolled the sleeves up. "You're kinda stuttering a lot. You scared of us or something?"

Koji didn't respond, and instead seemed to shrink in on himself more, as impossible as that seemed. Suddenly, a white rabbit popped out of his school uniform.

"Oh!" Momo gasped.

"Whoa, where'd that come from?!" A girl with short blackish-blue hair exclaimed. She has gauges in her earlobes and has headphones around her neck, which don't actually seem connected to anything. Her black school uniform is heavily altered to seem more like a Visual KEI outfit, and the belt hanging loosely around her waist seems to say "DEEP DOPE".

Koji blushed and managed to squeak out "O-O-Opal!" before falling silent again. He began to cradle the rabbit in his arms.

"Opal? Is that its name?" The girl with green hair asked, tilting her head to the side, "It is a perfectly wondrous name. I am not sure if pets are allowed on campus, but perhaps considering your talent, Opal is a exception?"

"Interesting exception, then," Said a purple-haired boy who looks like he doesn't know the meaning of the word "mattress". "Considering my cat had vanished when I woke up." He didn't speak all that loudly, but there was a certain mesmerizing quality in his voice that just sort of drew you in. Was he some sort of idol? He's wearing a black vest over a white shirt and purple tie. Around his neck is also a mess of a scarf, and he's also wearing gloves.

"Weird as that may be," A girl with shoulder-length pink hair and goldenrod eyes cut in. She's wearing a brown jumpsuit undone enough to reveal her navy-blue pinstripe tank top, and has on her head an absolutely enormous pair of Steampunk-like goggles. "I think we're getting off track with the introductions! Allow me to introduce myself; I'm **Mei Hatsume**! That's right, _the_ Mei Hatsume, the **Ultimate Innovator**! I've made over three thousand of my darling babies, and they almost always work! More or less." She ended with a huge grin that faltered almost immediately. "But you know what's weird? Ever since I woke up, I can't find _any_ of my darling babies..."

"I am sure they will turn up," The green haired girl smiled and patted Mei on the back, "I am **Ibara Shiozaki** , the **Ultimate Gardener**. And, correct me if I am wrong, dear sir..." She turned to the boy in the blue suit.

"It's as you guessed, yes..." He sighed roughly, "I'm **Shoto Todoroki**."

My interest immediately skyrocketed. "Shoto Todoroki?!" I said, shocked, "The son of the prime minister himself?!"

Shoto's eye twitched. "Yes, my _father_ is the prime minister. I suppose you want my Ultimate talents as well?"

"Talents? The fuck?" The ash blond spoke up, "Like, more than one? The hell are you talking about?"

"It's extremely irregular, but..." Shoto looked off to the side, "I have two Ultimate talents. I am both the **Ultimate Fire Dancer** and the **Ultimate Ice Sculptor**. I hope to get along with you all."

"Wow, the son of the prime minister of Japan and a double Ultimate... I'm kind of jealous." The purple-haired boy said, holding his chin so that his index and middle fingers covered his mouth. "I'm **Hitoshi Shinso**. You may recognize me as that hypnotist that was on television, and you'd be correct in your assumptions - I am the **Ultimate Hypnotist**."

I wanted to slap myself - how could I have not recognized _Hitoshi Shinso_?! He's said to be able to hypnotize anyone with just a few words and a pendulum, and was invited to multiple talk shows to show off his skills. No _wonder_ he'd been invited to this school!

"Wait, for real?! Dude, you're so cool!" The boy in the chef's coat said, running up to shake Hitoshi's hand, "I'm **Rikido Sato** , **Ultimate Patissier**! If there's a kitchen here, let me make you one of my special strawberry shortcakes! You won't be disappointed, promise!"

Hitoshi blinked. Apparently he's not used to such boisterous exhibitions from fans. "Uh, thank you. I'd, er, much rather prefer a coffee cake, but-"

"Got it, tiramisu!"

"Wait, no-"

"Are you dumb idiots done being gay?!" The ash blond shouted, "Because I've been waiting to introduce myself for a while now!"

"No one's really stopping you, you know," The girl in the punkish clothes sighed.

"What the fuck ever. I'm **Katsuki Bakugo**. Nice to fucking meet you." Katsuki scowled. "I'm apparently the **Ultimate Demolitionist**. Don't fuckin' know why - it's mostly just a hobby."

"A hobby?!" The girl I arrived with exclaimed, "My family wishes they could afford your services!"

"Your family?" Katsuki scoffed.

"Yeah, I'm **Ochaco Uraraka** , the **Ultimate Carpenter** , and my whole family's in construction!" Ochaco introduced herself. "Do you know how many old apartment buildings there are in Japan that we need to tear down so that we can build new ones?! Your skill and accuracy in placing bombs so that the building collapses in as few as five blasts is unprecedented!"

"That's... Really cool, actually." The girl with the punk clothes blinked. "Sorry for snapping at you, dude. Major respect for someone like that. I'm **Kyoka Jiro** , the **Ultimate Bassist**."

 _"K-Kyoka Jiro_?!" Momo exclaimed.

"Hm? You've heard of me, princess?" Kyoka looked at Momo.

"Heard of- Of course!" Momo continued, "You're the bassist for Deep Dope! I am quite a big fan!"

"Y-" Kyoka seemed stunned. "You like our music? I'm always glad to meet a fan, but normally people are more interested in our lead singer or the guitarist. I didn't think you, of all people, would recognize the bassist! Our music just, you know, doesn't _mesh well_ with the upper class."

"Perhaps she got interested because she thought you were cute?" The girl with the blank face said, placing a finger to her cheek.

Momo lit up like a candle. "Wh-"

"I am **Tsuyu Asui** , and I tend to say whatever's on my mind, so I apologize in advance." Tsuyu bowed. "Sometimes humans think that someone's cute, so they look into who they are. It's not much a stretch to think that you saw Kyoka in a magazine, looked up Deep Dope, and then became a fan of their music."

"Wait, _Tsuyu Asui?_ The girl who discovered an entirely new species of frog all by herself?!" I exclaimed.

"You are correct, yes." Tsuyu said, her voice giving a small croak-like giggle. "And please, call me Tsu. It's what my friends call me. I'm the **Ultimate Herpetologist**. I study amphibians and reptiles, but obviously it's my expertise in amphibians that gave me my title, yes." She gave a cute smile that looked a little like a Sanrio character. "And you are?"

"Oh, uh, me?" I said.

"Well, everyone else has introduced themselves already," Mina said, "So you're really the only one left, you know?"

"R-Right," I said, clearing my head, "Right, my name is **Izuku Midoriya**! I'm very happy to meet you all, and my Ultimate talent is..."

...

"Is...?" Tenya prompted.

...

_...Huh?_

"C'mon, Izuku, don't leave us hanging like that..." Toru groaned.

_...Why can't I...?_

"Did I..."

"Did you... what?" Ibara asked.

"I... Guys, I'm so sorry, but I think I... I can't remember it." I slowly admitted.


	2. Prologue: Welcome to Despair Academia! (Part 2)

"You... Don't remember?" Momo asked, confused.

"I-I'm sorry, but... I-I'm just, drawing a blank right now..." I tripped over my words.

"Perhaps... You don't have one?" Shoto offered.

"Don't have one?!" I exclaimed.

"Don't be fuckin' stupid, halfsies," Katsuki interrupted, "If the dumbass didn't have one, he wouldn't be here. It's that simple."

"But then, why can't he remember his Ultimate talent?" Tsuyu croaked.

"Maybe when he passed out, he hit his head really hard!" Toru exclaimed, hitting her palm with her hand in a sort of 'eureka' gesture.

"I could probably pull memories buried away out of the subconscious..." Hitoshi began thinking aloud. "But it'd probably be a lot of work over multiple sessions. Besides, there's something else that's bothering me..."

"I see!" Tenya spoke up, "Are you perhaps referring to the metal plates covering the windows?!"

"Wh- They're covering the windows, too?" Kyoka asked, startled.

"Too?" I picked up on that last word. It seemed important.

"Well, yeah. When I came to, I was in the Entrance Hall," Kyoka said, thinking back, "And the door there was covered in this giant metal hatch. It was all futuristic, but it also had turrets on either side of it, so I didn't try to mess with it."

"That's... Alarming." Ibara said.

"Yes, but it does bring up an important question..." Neito said, his earlier bravado missing from his voice, "Why would someone want to trap us in here?"

"T-T-Trap...?" Koji stammered out.

"Oh, of course!" Neito crowed out, "After all, we've obviously been kidnapped en masse!"

"Then... Why would they put us in a school and not on, I don't know, a deserted island or something?" Mina asked.

Neito didn't look like he had considered that. "Well, that is, er, I..."

Suddenly, a voice cut through our discussions.

"Ahem! Is everyone here? Yes? Good! Then we can begin!"

We all turned to the stage set up at the other end of the Gymnasium, and we all watched in trepidation. Something about that voice set me on edge, and I was frozen in an indescribable fear.

A teddy bear popped out. He's white with a regular mouth and eye on his right side and black with viciously sharp teeth and a wing-shaped red eye on his left side.

" _Hello,_ everyone!" The teddy bear sang out, as if things weren't already surreal enough, "I am **Monokuma**! And I... Shall be your headmaster for your school life!"

"I-It..." Mina slowly stammered, astonished, " _It TALKS?!_ "

"Hey! Who are you calling an "it"?!" Monokuma shouted, pointing at Mina, "Of course I can talk! I'm Monokuma!"

"It can move?!" Rikido exclaimed.

"Of course I can move! Didn't I just say I'm Monokuma?!"

"It has to be a cutting-edge robot, like a remote-controlled toy, or something..." Mei began to hypothesize. "Not as cute as my darling babies, but..."

"Upu... You're so mean to your headmaster..." Monokuma said, looking glum somehow, "You're as cold as iceberg lettuce..."

"Iceberg lettuce isn't cold!" Tenya corrected Monokuma, "It is green!"

"Is it?" Monokuma tilted his head, suddenly over his depression, "Huh. Who knew! Aaaanyways..."

"He just got over it, huh?" Katsuki muttered.

"Now then!" Monokuma suddenly stood up. "Everyone, please stand at attention! Now, bow!" Monokuma bowed. "Good morning!"

"Good morning!" Tenya boomed, bowing back.

"What are you doing?" Shoto asked Tenya.

"Ah, I feel so much better now that things are back on track!" Monokuma said, sounding pleased, "Time for us to commence our _beautiful_ orientation! First off, let's begin talking about how your school life will play out here. You sixteen students, the best of the best of the best, represent the world's hopes and dreams for the future, make no mistake! So, to protect you hopefuls from the dangers of the outside world, you will lead a communal life together solely within the confines of the school! Everyone will live together in harmony, and will adhere to the rules and regulations of the school placed for your safety!"

"Yeah, because I feel _soooo_ safe being locked in a school with you," Toru said sarcastically.

"Don't crack wise, young missy!" Monokuma shot back, then continued, "Now, regarding the end date for this school life... There isn't one! You're all gonna be here until you die! That's the kind of life you have now!" He cackled.

I froze up. I was going to remain here... Until I died?

"Hey, man, what the fuck?!" Katsuki yelled out, a mix of anger and fear evident on his face.

"Until we die?!" Momo looked stricken, "B-But..."

"Oh, don't worry!" Monokuma assured us, or at least it sounded like he was trying to assure us, "Our budget is quite extensive, make no mistake, so there'll be absolutely no lack of common conveniences! Oh, and by the way, you're completely cut off from the outside world! So, you don't have to worry about global warming, warfare, taxes, or terrible anime ever again!"

"C-Cut off?!" Kyoka looked mortified. "So, you're saying those plates-"

"Yeperooni! Those metal plates are to keep you guys in!" Monokuma chortled, "So scream and cry and beg for help all you want, help isn't gonna arrive! So, you can live your life with wild, reckless abandon! Go crazy! Whoo!!"

"This isn't... This isn't happening..." Ibara said, grief filling her face.

"Stop bullshittin' us, motherfucker!" Katsuki screamed angrily, "What the fuck are you trying to pull?!"

"Language, young man!" Monokuma chided Katsuki, "And you all are such skeptics, going on about how this "isn't happening" and how it's "BS" and "lies" and "a joke" and "terrible plot design". Well, listen up! You'll all soon see that I speak the absolute truth!"

"But living in this school..." Neito said, "It's unbecoming!"

"Unbecoming? Like your watch?" Monokuma asked, "Anywhosies, what's with you all? After all, you all chose of your own free wills to attend Hope's Peak Academy, and now you all want to leave? I'm so shocked, I can _bear_ -ly believe it!"

"He... Didn't." Koji spoke up, unamused.

"Unfortunately, he did, yes." Tsuyu answered him.

"As I was saying..." Monokuma continued.

"I don't think he's gonna continue the gag..." I said.

"Listen up!" Monokuma snapped, "I'm very disheartened that you all want to leave the school life you've chosen the moment you arrive! It fills me with sadness as your headmaster..." Monokuma sniveled a little before immediately recovering. "But, well, I guess I forgot to talk about the Graduation Clause."

Graduation Clause...? For some reason, those words filled me with dread.

"What's... the Graduation Clause?" Shoto eventually spoke up when Monokuma wasn't forthcoming with the details.

"Well, I'm glad you asked!" Monokuma cheered, "You see, in order to maintain an atmosphere of harmony, this communal lifestyle of ours requires peace and cooperation! However, if someone were to disrupt the harmony, they'd be allowed to leave the school! It's as simple as that, and that, my students, is the Graduation Clause!"

"And what do you mean by "disrupt the harmony"?" Neito asked.

"Upupupupu! Well, you know..." Monokuma's grin seemed to grow somehow. "If one person were to **murder** another..."

_...Huh?_

I felt isolated. Those words removed my psyche from my body, and I was left swirling in the maddening storm of confusion and fear. _Murder...? We have to..._

" _Murder someone?!_ " I exclaimed out loud.

"Thaaaat's right! _Murder!_ " Monokuma replied cheerfully, his high, cartoonish voice not at all matching up with his words, "Stabbing, drowning, bludgeoning, poisoning, strangling, igniting, blowing someone to smithereens!!! The method doesn't really matter. If you want to leave, you have to kill. That's the Graduation Clause in a nutshell. Give it your all as students to achieve the best outcome in the worst way possible!!! Gyaaahahahahahaha!!! Well, aren't you excited? Isn't your blood pumping?! Your brain juices flowing?!"

None of us moved or even spoke.

"I may have mentioned this earlier, but you sixteen students are pretty much the embodiments of the **hope** for the future. But, you know... Watching you hopes fall into **despair** and murder one another... It's just so... Darn... Exiting!!!" Monokuma turned red and began to sweat and pant.

"Stop fucking with us!" Katsuki screamed, "You want us to kill each other?! You- That's-"

"Hm? Killing is killing. What, you need a dictionary?" Monokuma teased Katsuki.

"We know what killing is!" Ochaco shouted, pale, "It's just- Why do we need to kill?!"

"Yeah!" Neito agreed, "So quit your blabbering about this nonsense! I'll have you know that the police are most likely on their way at this precise moment! They wouldn't just let me disappear like this!"

"Blabbering?" Monokuma turned towards Neito. "Blabbering? Who's blabbering?! Stop blabbering about blabbering! Blabbering, blabbering, blabbering, I'm sick of your blabbering, too! You dumbasses don't get it, do you?! You're all broken records, all talking about rescue and escape and living and blah, blah, _blah_!!! Listen up!" Monokuma turned towards the rest of us. "From this moment forth, this school is your entire world, your universe, your lives! Got it?! Good! And it's a world where you can kill all you want! So go bananas! Go crazy! Go on a kill-kill-killing spree!!!"

"...Are you done?" Hitoshi spoke up.

"Wazzat?" Monokuma asked.

"You don't just... Expect us to _believe_ this, right?" Hitoshi asked, a vague air of doubt in his voice, "This is all a prank, isn't it? To scare us into behaving for the rest of the school year so that we don't become delinquents or whatever."

"Fucking- Outta my way, brainfart!" Katsuki shoved Hitoshi aside and stormed up to Monokuma's podium. "Look here, you dumb piece of shit! I've had enough of your fucking lies! Let me out of here already, 'cause this joke's already gone way too fucking far!"

"Joke?" Monokuma asked, "You mean like your clothes?"

Katsuki grit his teeth.

"Or maybe your teeth? I've heard that people with anger problems tend to overbrush-"

" _YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD!_ " Katsuki launched himself at Monokuma and, with no struggle, held Monokuma up by the neck. " _Alright_ , you fucking Beanie Baby! You better let me out on the count of motherfucking three, or I swear your two-toned ass'll be nothing but _rags_ when I'm through with you!"

"Hold- Hold on!" Monokuma screamed, waving his arms frantically, "Violence against the headmaster is against the rules! This is a grave violation of school regulations!"

" _For Christ's sake, shut up!_" Katsuki made a fist with his other hand. "I'm starting the fucking count! One, _two-_ "

Katsuki was interrupted by a beep. Then another one. Monokuma kept on beeping at a steady tempo that was slowly increasing.

"Wait... Hold on..." Katsuki's eyes widened.

"Katsuki! Get rid of it!" Ochaco shouted.

"Don't have to tell me twice, moon-face!" Katsuki threw Monokuma as hard as he could.

Monokuma exploded in midair. The smell of gunpowder and the ringing in my ears would never leave my memories. I'd seen explosions in movies, of course, but up close... This was something else. And Katsuki did this on a daily basis?

"Th-There was a fucking _bomb_ inside that thing?!" Katsuki said, shocked.

"This is... Really bad... Holy fuck, this is extremely bad..." Kyoka looked terrified.

"But," Mei spoke up, "Now that that uncute thing is dead, we can leave, right? It's not like there's more of him, right?"

"Wrong!" And just like that, Monokuma reappeared at the podium.

"The teddy bear's back!" Toru screamed.

"I'm _not_ a teddy bear!" Monokuma snapped, "I'm Monokuma, your headmaster!"

"Headmaster or not, what the fuck?!" Katsuki screamed, "You tried to _kill_ me!"

"Well, of course I did." Monokuma shrugged. "You violated a school regulation. It's your first day here, so I'll let you off with a warning, but make no mistake, little Katsuki, that any naughty little boy or girl isn't going to just be let off with a swat on the wrist next time! Same goes for the rest of you! Monokumas have been placed all over the school, and there are surveillance cameras everywhere, too! So, you better follow the school rules, or else... Upupupupupupupu... Upupupupu..."

If this is this thing's idea of punishment, I'd hate to know it's idea of justice.

"Finally, I have something to commemorate your joyous entrance to our dear Hope's Peak Academy! Behold!" Monokuma then produced a set of tablets that he threw at our feet with pinpoint accuracy. "These lovely little devices are your student handbooks! As they're totally electronic, we've taken to calling them **e-Handbooks**!" Monokuma paused for a second, and when no one responded, Monokuma sobbed. "You're all so mean... Your eyes have no tears, your hearts have no blood, and your bones have no calcium..."

"What?" Rikido asked.

"Ah, a reaction! I didn't think he'd take the bait!" Monokuma exclaimed, apparently shocked, "But I'll take it! Listen up! These e-Handbooks are impossible to drown! You can't get the water pressure needed to short-circuit these babies on this planet, anyways. Plus, thanks to their space-age design, it can withstand up to ten tons of impact force! It also contains the school rules and regulations, so please be sure to look at that! I know I say this a lot, but **violating the rules** is _strictly_ prohibited! After all, rules may restrict, but they also protect! That's why society is full of laws! To restrict the lower class and protect the upper class! And just like society, we have very strict punishments ready in case these rules are broken!"

Nobody moved. A few of us were looking at their e-Handbooks, but I was frozen in place, staring at this object of terror. How could he be so blase about the idea of murder? Why did he want us to murder each other?

"And that's the end of the orientation ceremony! Please, enjoy your abundantly dreary school life and give it your best! Toodleoo!" And with that, Monokuma just disappeared, appearing to sink into the floorboards.

We all stared at the space Monokuma had just occupied.

"Uh..." Tenya eventually spoke up, "F-Fellow students... How would you... Describe this experience?"

"It's... Horrific, is the only word I can imagine..." Ibara whimpered.

"I don't want to die... I don't want to die.... I don't want to die..." Mina was repeating to herself under her breath.

"Fucker tried to _kill_ me!" Katsuki shouted, " _How the fuck do you THINK I feel?!_ "

"Well, uh, guys, let's, uh, calm down..." I spoke up, thoughts racing, "We can't do anything until we stop panicking... Um, I think we have two options going forwards..."

"He's right," Momo agreed, "Our options are as follows: we either remain a peaceful commune and simply live our days in peace... Until we die..."

"Or, we kill each other and leave, one by one, yes..." Tsuyu finished Momo's thought.

"But that's just-" I exclaimed.

"Were you about to say, _"impossible"_?" Neito interrupted me.

"Huh?" I asked.

"I don't really think it's all that impossible," Neito said, his early smug attitude replaced with something resembling grave seriousness, "After all, we've only just met each other. So, we can't truly ascertain, exactly, who among us is seriously considering the offer."

With that, all conversation stopped. And a new emotion filled the air: suspicion. We looked at each other, the earlier trust we had just built up crumbling away. Fear replaced it, and every last one of us knew exactly how true those words were. We couldn't know who would take up Monokuma's offer, _"Kill someone if you want to leave"_ ; who would stab us in the back at a moment's notice. And that's when I realized that the reason I was in Hope's Peak Academy wasn't because I had some Ultimate talent or whatever...

It was so that I could experience the worst, most terrible, most tragic despair of my life.

 

* * *

 

**_PROLOGUE: WELCOME TO DESPAIR ACADEMIA!_ **   
**_END_ **

**_SIXTEEN STUDENTS REMAIN_ **

**Author's Note:**

> Student Roster:
> 
> Izuku Midoriya, Ultimate ???  
> Katsuki Bakugo, Ultimate Demolitionist  
> Shoto Todoroki, Ultimate Fire Dancer/Ice Sculptor  
> Momo Yaoyorozu, Ultimate Craftswoman  
> Kyoka Jiro, Ultimate Bassist  
> Koji Koda, Ultimate Animal Tamer  
> Rikido Sato, Ultimate Patissier  
> Mina Ashido, Ultimate Chemist  
> Mei Hatsume, Ultimate Innovator  
> Neito Monoma, Ultimate Copycat  
> Ochaco Uraraka, Ultimate Carpenter  
> Toru Hagakure, Ultimate Prankster  
> Hitoshi Shinso, Ultimate Hypnotist  
> Ibara Shiozaki, Ultimate Gardener  
> Tsuyu Asui, Ultimate Herpetologist  
> Tenya Iida, Ultimate Track Star


End file.
